T. B. ALDRICH was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1836.
He had commenced to prepare himself for college when his father died. This event caused him to change his plans, and enter the counting-house of his uncle, a merchant in New York. In the three years that he remained with his uncle, he won some reputation by his verses contributed to the New York journals. His poems were collected into a volume entitled "The Bells," and published in 1855. The title of the book was taken from his poem "The Bells, which was regarded as his best production. The success of his poem "Baby Bell," published in 1856, was wonderful. It was copied all over the country. The fame which he had thus acquired induced him to abandon mercantile pursuits, and adopt literature as a calling.
Aldrich's life as an author has been one of continued prosperity. He contributed numerous and interesting articles to "Putnam's Magazine," the "Knickerbocker," and the weekly newspapers. In the papers, he first published "Daisy's Necklace, and What Came of it." This prose poem was afterward published in book form, and it attained great popularity.
In 1856 Aldrich joined the editorial staff of the "Home Journal," then under the charge of N. P. Willis and Geo. P. Morris. This relation he held for three years, writing constantly; and many of his articles became great favorites.
He has been an incessant literary worker, as will be seen by the following synopsis of his most important productions: "The Ballad of Baby Bell, and other poems," published in 1856; "The Course of True Love never did Run Smooth," 1858; "Pampinea and other Poems" in 1861; "Out of his Head, a Romance in Prose," 1862; a collection of poems, 1863; a volume of poems published in Boston in 1865; "The Story of a Bad Boy," published first in "Our Young Folks"' and afterward, in 1870, in book form. "The Story of a Bad Boy" attracted wide attention.
Aldrich has been editor of "Every Saturday" from its foundation, and he has contributed articles to the "Atlantic Monthly" and other magazines.
He occupied a high position as a lyric poet, and also as a novelist. Nothing grand in poetry
had been attempted by him, but he performed all that he
had undertaken with much beauty, and almost perfection. Among his finest poems are "Friar Jerome's Beautiful Book," "The Face Against the Pane," and "Baby Bell." Among his best novels are "The Story of a Bad Boy," "Marjorie Daw" and other People," and "Prudence Palfrey."
The following stanza illustrates the charming beauty of his style:
Have you not heard the poets tell
How came the dainty Baby Bell
Into this world of ours?
The gates of heaven were left ajar;
With folded hands and dreamy eyes,
Wandering out of Paradise,
She saw the planet like a star,
Hung in the glistening depths of even,
Its bridges running to and fro,
O'er which the white-winged angels go,
Bearing the holy dead to heaven;
She touched a bridge of flowers--those feet,
So light they did not bend the bells
Of the celestial asphodels!
They fell like dew upon the flowers;
Then all the air grew strangely sweet;
And thus came dainty Baby Bell
Into this world of ours.
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Great authors of 19th century literature >